Child employment

Children and young people can work on a part time basis however they are limited, depending on age to number of hours they can work as well as the type of employment.

All part-time employment of young people of school age is subject to regulation by the local authority.

Employers and young people will need to apply for a work permit. Any employer who allows a child of school age to work, without first obtaining a work permit, is breaking the law and could be prosecuted.

As part of Health and Safety legislation, the employer is required to carry out a risk assessment whenever they are considering employing children, regardless of the type of work.

An application form can be found under related downloads, must be completed by the employer, signed by the parent or guardian of the child and returned to Education Welfare Service.

When authorised a work permit will be issued to the child, with copies sent to the employer, parent and school. This will take up to 21 days. If the child does not receive a work permit it might mean that no application has been made. This could mean that the child is not covered by the employer's insurance in the event of an accident at work.